SRBM - Strengthening Representative Bodies in Mongolia

Project completed
Workshop on Parliament Monitoring
Workshop on Parliament Monitoring © SDC

On request of the authorities, the project ensures the implementation and oversight over new local governance laws to ensure public service delivery and sustainable rangeland management. Based on SDC supported achievements on democratic governance in Mongolia, increased technical cooperation between the Swiss and the Mongolian Parliamentary Services is at the core of the project. Gender equality and pro-poor approaches are mainstreamed.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Mongolia
Governance
Climate change and environment
Decentralisation
Democratic participation and civil society
Environmental policy
Public finance management
01.08.2021 - 31.12.2023
CHF  2’250’000
Background End of 2019, Mongolia made amendments to its Constitution. The roles of the Parliaments at all levels increased, secured by the revision of related laws. The national Parliament committed to mainstream gender in all its decisions and processes. The adoption of new laws marks a progress toward decentralization, with the ability for the first time to raise taxes at local level. The delegated functions are formalized, local revenue and expenditure increased. Among the new ability to raise taxes at local level, the Animal Tax Law was adopted in 12.2020. This law is key, both under a decentralisation and a climate change perspectives: overgrazing, absence of a regulatory framework, underrepresentation of herders at decision making levels, are aggravating rangeland degradation while rangelands represent the natural resource base for the 2nd pillar of the economy. As the decision-makers at local level, municipal councils with herders’ participation play an important role to set tax rates for animals, formulate and monitor rangeland policies. It is strategic that bodies at local and national levels have capacities to ensure implementation and oversight of these key steps of decentralization.
Objectives Representative bodies in Mongolia are more responsive and accountable to citizens, ensuring youth participation and realising the rights of the poor and marginalised.
Target groups

-    The Mongolian Parliament Secretariat (MPS)

-    Parliamentary standing committees

-    Parliamentary Research Institute

-    The Cabinet Secretariat of Government of Mongolia

-    Sub-national local assemblies (khurals) in Ulaanbaatar city, at municipal and provincial levels

-    Sub-national governments

-    The Office of President of Mongolia

-    National Federation of Pasture User Groups (NFPUG); Pasture User Groups (PUGs) at local levels

-    Citizens (male and female)

-    Local Governance NGOs

Medium-term outcomes

-    Parliamentarians and the Parliament Secretariat have the instruments and capacity to strengthen parliamentary democracy in Mongolia;

-    Local Khurals have improved local service delivery and have better protected and managed rangelands thanks to the supervision on the implementation of the new laws on Local Governance (LATUG and Animal Tax Law) and capacity building support, which is financially sustainable.

Results

Expected results:  

-    Parliamentary capacities for legislative process are strengthened to mainstream gender and human right approaches (with SPS support); 

-    Parliamentary capacities for oversight are strengthened through the operationalization of new law on Parliamentary Oversight, with SPS support;

-    Enhanced public engagement in parliamentary processes through promotion of participatory democracy and open governance principle (with SPS support);

-    New laws on Local Governance (revised LATUG and new Law on Animal Tax) are operationalized;

-    Local Councils’ financial, organizational and functional capacities, including pasture management, are strengthened in a sustainable way;

-    Accountability and oversight capacity of local self-government on budget utilization and pasture management are improved.

-    Institutional Capacities of the Office of the President is improved for the fulfilment of the Presidential functions.

-    Organizational capacities of the Office of President is strengthened.


Results from previous phases:  

-    Legal framework local governance: Law on Administrative and Territorial Units and their Governance (LATUG), Law on Animal Tax approved;

-    Sub-national local assemblies have improved organisational capacity through the application of new guidelines; 

-    Almost all 8000 locally elected politicians are empowered thanks to the national induction training following the local elections of 2016 and 2020; 

-    Women Leadership Training programme is institutionalised and delivered nationwide to almost all 2000 elected women representatives;

-    National training programme for local representatives institutionalised;

-    Thanks to Swiss Parliamentary Secretariat (SPS):

1.    Monitoring & Evaluation Unit of MPS restructured;

2.    Procedures for evaluation of the implementation of legislation was approved by the Parliament;

3.    The MPS strategic plan was elaborated/approved.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Project partners Contract partner
Foreign state institution
  • Central State of South East


Other partners

-    The Mongolian Parliament Secretariat (MPS)

-    The Cabinet Secretariat of Government of Mongolia (CabSec)

-    The Office of President of Mongolia

Coordination with other projects and actors

-    Governance and Decentralisation Programme (GDP) of SDC;

-    Mainstreaming Social Accountability in Mongolia (MASAM) of SDC & World Bank;

-    KOICA/UNDP project on women political empowerment. 

Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    2’250’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    2’176’604
Project phases

Phase 2 01.08.2021 - 31.12.2023   (Completed)

Phase 1 15.12.2016 - 30.06.2021   (Completed)